World first DNA study shows where you live may change how fast you age

Scientists from The University of Manchester and an international team led by Stanford University have discovered that where you live can influence how quickly your body ages, by reshaping your immune system, metabolism and gut microbiome¹.

Researchers analysed 322 healthy volunteers from Europe, East Asia and South Asia to understand who is affected, what changes occur in the body, when and where these changes arise, and why they matter for health and precision medicine.

Global multiomics study links geography, ancestry and biological ageing

The research team used a comprehensive multiomics approach, measuring genes, proteins, immune markers, gut bacteria, metabolic chemicals and biological metals to build the most detailed picture yet of how genetic ancestry and environment shape human biology.

By recruiting people with the same genetic ancestry who were living on different continents, the scientists were able to separate the effects of inherited DNA from the influence of geography and environment with unprecedented clarity.

Genetic ancestry in this study refers to the estimation of where a person’s ancestors came from, based on patterns in their DNA passed down through generations.

Ethnicity leaves a lasting imprint on immunity, metabolism and the microbiome

The study found that ethnic background leaves a deep and consistent mark on the immune system, metabolism and gut bacteria, regardless of where people move.

South Asian volunteers showed signs of higher exposure to pathogens across multiple biological layers, indicating a distinct immune and metabolic profile. European participants had richer gut microbial diversity and higher levels of metabolic chemicals linked to heart disease risk, highlighting ancestry-related differences in cardiometabolic biology.

Geography reshapes key molecular pathways and gut microbes

Alongside ancestry, geography was shown to rewire important molecular networks involved in cholesterol regulation, inflammation and energy processing.

Moving between continents was enough to shift major metabolic pathways and alter the balance of gut microbes, demonstrating that environmental factors can substantially modify biological systems.

These geographic effects were observed even when genetic ancestry remained the same, underscoring the powerful role of location, lifestyle and local exposures in shaping human biology.

Geography and ancestry interact to influence biological age

One of the most striking findings was that geography appears to change biological age, a molecular measure of how old cells appear based on their biological state rather than chronological years.

East Asian participants living outside Asia were found to be biologically older than East Asians who remained in Asia. In contrast, Europeans living outside Europe appeared biologically younger than Europeans residing in Europe.

These patterns suggest that environment and genetic ancestry interact in complex and sometimes opposing ways that can speed up or slow down the ageing process.

New three-way link between telomerase gene, gut microbe and lipid molecule

The study also uncovered a previously unknown connection between a telomerase gene involved in cellular ageing, a specific gut microbe and a lipid molecule called sphingomyelin.

This unexpected three-way link hints at a molecular chain reaction through which gut bacteria may influence how quickly cells age, potentially opening new avenues for understanding and targeting age-related diseases.

Building a global resource for precision medicine

The findings create a powerful new resource for precision medicine, emphasising the need for healthcare strategies tailored to both genetic ancestry and environment rather than a one-size-fits-all model.

The open-access dataset generated by the study is expected to help scientists and clinicians develop more accurate diagnostics, treatments and prevention strategies that reflect real global diversity and individual biology.

Researchers at The University of Manchester contributed detailed analysis of biological metals, working alongside international teams studying proteins, the immune system, metabolism and microbiomes to generate an integrated view of human variability.

Expert perspectives on global diversity and health

Co-author Professor Richard Unwin from The University of Manchester said the work shows how both inherited and environmental factors shape human biology, “What this study shows, more clearly than ever before, is that our biology is shaped by a combination of both our genetic ancestry and the places we live.”

He highlighted the consistent influence of ethnicity across multiple biological systems, “We were struck by how consistently ethnicity influenced immunity, metabolism and the microbiome, even when people moved thousands of miles away. However, it is equally clear that where we live can have substantial impacts on nudging key molecular pathways — even how our cells appear to age — in different directions depending on who you are. It proves that precision medicine must reflect real global diversity, not a single population.”

Michael Snyder, Professor of Genetics at the Stanford School of Medicine, who led the study, emphasized the global scope of the work, “Our study is special because for the first time we have deeply profiled people from around the world, including Asia, Europe and North America. This enables us to see what properties such as metabolites and microbes are associated with ethnicity and which ones with geography."

References

1. Barapour N, Cao J, Wu Y, et al. A comparison of deep multiomics profiles across ethnicity, geography, and age. Cell, Volume 189, Issue 10, p3004-3024.e35, May 14, 2026.

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